Category: Greek Mythology

Love and tragedy feature strongly in Greek mythology, often in the same tales. Here, we look at the most intense love stories in Greek Mythology and their not-so happy endings. Love Stories in Greek Mythology Ancient Greek myths are roller-coaster adventures. The characters often go through 'hero cycles', where they have to overcome adversity to achieve a goal, only to find that they don't live happily after at the end. This is particularly so with the classic love stories from Greek mythology. These stories more often than not have a tragic ending, which is perhaps thought of as unusual nowadays. To the ancient Greeks though, this was simply the cycle of life. Each man and woman has to pass through different emotions and passions during their journey, and the Greek Myths reflected this. Do any Greek love stories end well? Actually, very few if any Greek love stories end well! The obvious one would be Eros and Psyche, however the story we have today is of Roman origin. It was probably the Romans that added the happy ending, because it seems very un-Greek! Another example that could be thought of is Odysseus and Penelope. Although the story ends happily when Odysseus returns from the Trojan war to be reunited with his love, he wasn't exactly faithful along the way. For that reason, we've left out the Greek myths of Eros and Psyche, and Odysseus and Penelope here. Instead, we've chosen some others that will get your passions rising! Orpheus and Eurydice The Greek God Apollo and the Muse Calliope had a son named Orpheus. Inheriting traits from his parents, he was a naturally gifted musician especially when playing the lyre. Every time he played, his music touched not just people but even the Gods themselves. As time went by, he

Love and tragedy feature strongly in Greek mythology, often in the same tales. Here, we look at the most intense love stories in Greek Mythology and their not-so happy endings. Love Stories in Greek Mythology Ancient Greek myths are roller-coaster adventures. The characters often go through ‘hero cycles’, where they have to overcome adversity to